College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region

13 Colleges in the Southeast Region
1,271 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$56,036 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in public policy, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #113 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual reviewed 13 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of public policy. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,271 degrees in public policy annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Policy School

Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region The public policy program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Public Policy rankings. We derive our Best Overall Public Policy School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Public Policy Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Public Policy
Master's Degrees in Public Policy
Doctor's Degrees in Public Policy

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Public Policy in the Southeast Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the public policy degree levels they offer.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in Public Policy

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
288 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
6.6% Growth in Graduates

Duke University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in public policy. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were about 288 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public policy degree program at Duke University get $13,985 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in public policy from Duke University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
172 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$48,252 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in public policy has to look into University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were roughly 172 public policy students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public policy program earn around $48,252 for their early career.

More information about a degree in public policy from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Business Administration - Public Administration Program Name

Prepare yourself to make the decisions that best serve a community, its constituents and its economic growth with this specialized business degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Business Administration - Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

George Mason University is a good option for students pursuing a degree in public policy. GMU is a very large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 92 public policy students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public policy program at George Mason University make $18,580 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in public policy from George Mason University

4
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In VA

Virginia Tech is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in public policy. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 15 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public policy from Virginia Tech

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$61,014 Median Starting Salary

Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 58 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public policy program at Vanderbilt University make $4,978 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in public policy from Vanderbilt University

6
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$36,703 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were about 53 public policy students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public policy program state that they receive average early career income of $36,703.

More information about a degree in public policy from William & Mary

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In KY

UK is a fairly large public university located in the city of Lexington. This university ranks 1st out of 39 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were approximately 19 public policy students who graduated with this degree at UK in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public policy from University of Kentucky

Sponsored
Masters Degree Type
MBA in Public Administration Program Name

Fit new strategic skills into your public service passion and goals when you earn an MBA in Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in MBA in Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 105 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent year we have data available. Public Policy degree recipients from Liberty University earn a boost of around $2,317 over the average income of public policy majors.

More information about a degree in public policy from Liberty University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
18.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 17th out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 37 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Georgia State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the public policy program earn an average of $42,215 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in public policy from Georgia State University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In TN

Located in the city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 24 public policy students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public policy from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Best Public Policy Colleges by State

Explore the best public policy schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 86
Florida 282 13
North Carolina 279 463
Virginia 274 452
Tennessee 269 81
South Carolina 248 2
Kentucky 244 9
Louisiana 242 8
Mississippi 234 51
Arkansas 234 8
Alabama 233 9
West Virginia 207 23

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Public Policy has other similar majors worth exploring.

Public Policy Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Public Policy Analysis 1,234
Education Policy Analysis 17
Health Policy Analysis 17
Other Public Policy Analysis 3

View All Public Policy Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 3,800
Human Services 2,614
Community Organization & Advocacy 197
Other Public Administration 126

View All Public Policy Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options